Search the Community

I've just bought a 57 plate RX 400h with 112,000 miles and an impeccable service history of ten main dealer stamps. I love the drive but am surprised and disappointed about how much road noise there seems to be. There is a constant 'whooshing' noise as soon as you go faster than 20 miles an hour. The tyres on the front are brand new Falken Azenis and there are two good Bridgestone Potenzas on the rear. I'm not sure whether the noise is the tyres but it seems a good place to start. I can't detect anything wrong with the door or window seals but it definitely sounds like more noise is coming into the cabin than you would expect.The nearest analogy I can provide is that it sounds a bit like the noise you get in a fast train because of the air pressure. Am I expecting too much from the car in terms of its quietness? I would be very pleased if some more experienced drivers of these cars could let me know what is normal.

Does anyone know if Michelin's new Cross Climate and the forthcoming Nokian Weatherproof tyres are available in the standard RX size as yet? They get good write ups...by Honest John.

Something @Linas.P said in another topic piqued my interest on the subject of "XL" tyres. Is there really that much of a difference? I've never ever done a direct comparison (XL v non-XL) of the same tyre before as I rarely buy the same tyre twice in succession. Plus, looking through my recent tyre history, it would appear I've bought a mixture of XL and non-XL tyres over the years, and like I said, I haven't noticed any real difference that would make me wary of buying one over the other. Actually, thinking back to my IS200 days. I remember Hankook V12 Evos (XL) being much more comfortable and quieter than the Continental SportContact3 (non-XL) tyres that I replaced them with, so it's not quite black & white... For the IS250, I've always chosen XL tyres where possible (sometimes it's the only option anyway) due to the small 40-series sidewalls and the state the roads are in. Some of the pot holes I've seen recently are absolutely ridiculous! Anyway, here's what openeo have to say on the subject;

Well this morning it was below zero under my carport and when my car was started the tyre pressure warning light was on. Well I looked everywhere including the handbook and nowhere did it say how to reset the thing. Fortunately after driving for half an hour the light disappeared. Why isn't there information on resetting the light when the cold wat Weather certainly the issue?

Hi All, I need 4 tyres and have been doing a lot of research but need some advise as I am on a budget. currently I have Bridgestone Potanza all round. Now I have seen Avon Z7 - front 65 (225-45-17) each and rear £95 (245-45-17) however I have also seen Debica tyres which are made by Dunlop and very affordable so can make a saving. Anyone have any advise if Debica is good? My preference is A for Wet and at least C for fuel in terms of ratings. Also another option is going part worn with good thread at about £45 per tyre for a premium brand. Any advise please and any good sites as I have seen BlackCircles, ATS, TyreGuru and TyreLeader. I have about 4mm still left on my set. Thank you 😊

Had four new tyres fitted today and tracking adjusted Initial impressions on todays wet and cold roads are very positive. Firstly the only negative is lack of rim protection. Now the positives. Firstly the car now feels more planted and the ride is much softer than the OE Dunlops. This is especially noticeable when negotiating speed humps. They are also much quieter. The grip in the wet seems also to be much improved. So initial impressions are very positive.

I have a recently purchased IS200 Sportcross and the rear tyres need replacing soon. Can anyone make recommendations for the best replacements please?

It's snowy here today. Nasty snow; ice, snow, compacted snow, slush. Lots of stuck cars, spinning cars etc. We were both fine. Nokian Weatherprrof on hers, Michelin Latitude Tour HP - both all season. We both felt safe and secure. Cars were getting stuck on the slightest of inclines. I felt I could have stopped on a hill and started again, easily. It felt good. And safe.

After a TOTAL mare of a journey last night travelling from the Manchester back to Leicester (M6 > Stoke > A50 > M1) I *really* need to get my tyres changed. Took it steady unlike the MANY fools that drove past me and then seconds later ended up the embankment or in the central railings. Thankfully made it back in one piece... I've ran winter tyres on the cars for years but out of laziness on my part didn't get round to sorting them on the GS (OK partly because I keep on thinking of selling it!)...Don't fancy going down the route of swapping them over each season so thought I would look into All Seasons. Thinking the Vredsteins. Anyone have experience of these or any other All Seasons?? Worth it?? Or should I really sort out my advert for selling the car

I'm still deciding what tyres to put on my LS 400 17" dhp wheels, I need all five as I'm changing to a different size, due to expense and the age (2007) of my existing tyres. As usual I'm doing my research re noise , handling etc ( I probably overdo the research at times ) It occurred to me that I do low mileage (currently on 69000), so the next replacements may be needed due to age rather than mileage. I contacted Blackcircles and asked whether I could specify tyres with a very recent date (DOT number), to ensure that I get the maximum lifespan. Their response explained that they could not guarantee recent tyres, as they obtained tyres from many suppliers. They also explained that tyres sold as new can be up to five years old, by law. It seems to be the luck of the draw, but your new tyres may have been manufactured a month ago, or 59 months ago. Obviously, much depends on handling and storage (exposure to sunlight etc), but I imagine the process of perishing starts immediately. I'd bet this is not common knowledge. it probably is not an issue for people who do greater mileages, but for me, it could be.

It's snowy out there - about 6-8 inches in places. Even in my ( wife's ) RX with winter tyres, it was somewhat stressful. But we got 'there' and we got back again.

Has anyone here recently fitted all-season tyres to their RX? My wife's RX350 needs new tyres, and all season might be the way to go?

I am posting this for the information of other GS300h owners who are considering changing their tyres. Please learn from my own stupidity. Do not purchase Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 in size 235/45! When looking at reviews, I found near-universal praise for these tyres (in other sizes) for being quiet, comfortable and low rolling resistance. Despite the fact that I know full well that tyre reviews are second only to food reviews for being utterly pointless subjective tripe, I allowed myself to be persuaded away from spending the extra on Michelin CrossClimates which have been recommended by owners on here. That was foolish, and it is going to prove to be an expensive mistake. These tyres are not quiet. They produce noticeably more cabin noise than the OEM Bridgestone ER33s, which I did not consider to be a quiet tyre in the first place. They are perhaps more 'comfortable' in that they make the car feel as if it's driving through treacle. However, the biggest problem is that the rolling resistance is absolutely, utterly, appallingly terrible. Unbelievably, it has actually made a noticeable impact on performance - significantly more throttle is now required in any given situation, and the distance I can get in milkfloat mode has been considerably reduced. As a result, fuel economy is now catastrophically bad. I'm not talking a slight reduction - I'm talking a minimum 10% worse and on some journeys up to 20%. Where I would have been touching an indicated 50mpg on these cold days, I am now struggling into the low 40s and occasionally dipping down into the 30s. If I needed more proof that those ridiculous EU economy ratings are anything other than fabricated bulls--t then this is it - these tyres have the same rating as the ER33s they replaced, and the associated mumbo jumbo claims a maximum difference of 7.5% between A and G! I hoped they might just need scrubbing in, but there's been no improvement after a few hundred miles. I have tried whacking the pressures up to 2.7bar, but this has had little impact on economy. It just makes the ride unsettled. And yes, I've checked they were fitted the right way around! Clearly, these tyres can't be universally awful. I've actually got the Asymmetric 3s (the updated version) on my wife's Auris HSD and they're absolutely fine. However, on a GS300h they are an unmitigated disaster if you have even a passing interest in fuel economy. I hope this information may save others from making the same mistake as I have made.

There was a very interesting thread recently on best tyres for an NX. Any thoughts on the CT? Has already done 20k and will likely need to do at least that again.

So her RX sport needs a set of fronts (235/55/19). The Avon ZX7 and the Goodyear Wrangler HP All Seasons caught my eye. Anyone have experience of these? Any preference? She does about 10k a year mainly around town but didn't want to end up being stuck in 1cm of snow IF the winter weather ever came ;) Cheers, Noman

This update probably isn't very helpful for those of you running standard wheels but thought you might find it interesting! I've had my new Michelin PS4'S on for a few days. My wheels are an inch wider than standard all round so I was able to fit 255s up front and 275 in the back. I've heard some isf owners run a square set up with 255s all round which would have been an easier fit on the rear but I think this is only really suitable for the track. With an aggressive offset, lowered suspension and 275s I had to get the rear arches rolled. A local bodyshop called endless road did an amazing job including full weather proofing and respray of the outer arches for just £270. First impressions are very good. The car feels rock solid and cornering speeds are even higher than before 😊. The standard tyre set up on the isf is already excellent and I never felt it needed more grip on the road but the wider set up takes it to a new level. I think you would need to do crazy speed to get understeer, although I guess 400bhp will still light up the rears if you want 😁. I can't really say if the PS4'S are better than the mpss I had on before as they were standard size but both are excellent tyres. I think our tame professional driver @Big Rat should take my car for a test drive to see what he thinks... 😎 No pictures sorry as it's impossible to photo black tyres on a black car!

This update probably isn't very helpful for those of you running standard wheels but thought you might find it interesting! I've had my new Michelin PS4'S on for a few days. My wheels are an inch wider than standard all round so I was able to fit 255s up front and 275 in the back. I've heard some isf owners run a square set up with 255s all round which would have been an easier fit on the rear but I think this is only really suitable for the track. With an aggressive offset, lowered suspension and 275s I had to get the rear arches rolled. A local bodyshop called endless road did an amazing job including full weather proofing and respray of the outer arches for just £270. First impressions are very good. The car feels rock solid and cornering speeds are even higher than before 😊. The standard tyre set up on the isf is already excellent and I never felt it needed more grip on the road but the wider set up takes it to a new level. I think you would need to do crazy speed to get understeer, although I guess 400bhp will still light up the rears if you want 😁. I can't really say if the PS4'S are better than the mpss I had on before as they were standard size but both are excellent tyres. I think our tame professional driver @Big Rat should take my car for a test drive to see what he thinks... 😎 No pictures sorry as it's impossible to photo black tyres on a black car!

Just a quick heads up - I hope this post does not fall foul of the rules - I will be selling my new set of Fox fx004 rims soon as seen on my profile - everybody I met said they really liked them but I "just didn't " I prefered the originals a purely personal view so I have put them back on, so i now have no use for the Fox ones, they are only a couple of months old & as good as new, I have even got the chrome ( "L" ) centres for them which are included too. Just wanted to give LOC members first choice before advertising to public. So if you are interested then please message me. I will wait 3 weeks from this post before advertising elsewhere. Richard

I bought my first Lexus in 2014 having previously owned a Saab 95 for over 10 years. I am very pleased with the car with one exception - the ride quality is a lot firmer and the majority of roads do not offer a smooth driving surface. Does anyone else share my frustration and have any ideas to improve the comfort level. I have considered changing from 17" to16" wheels with Michelin Cross Climate tyres but am not sure what effect this would have on performance or what would be the best wheels to change to. Any thoughts would be welcome as I was planning on keeping the car for a number of years.

I need the advice of experts and enthusiasts, in doing something which seems to swim against the tide. I have a 2002 IS300 Sportcross. It comes with 17" wheels as standard, with fairly low-profile tyres: 215/45 R17 on the front, 225/45 R17 on the rear. The alloy wheels are scabby and corroded, and the current Michelin Premacy tyres are due for replacement. So now is the moment! Most people who change wheels and tyres seem to want bigger wheels and even lower profile tyres. Fair enough - for appearance and perhaps hard cornering. I want to go the other way. I want to fit 16" wheels (I have a set) and deeper profile tyres. The reason is mainly to improve the ride and reduce vulnerability to bad road surfaces, potholes, and the thumping of cats-eyes..... So this is where it gets complicated. What tyres do I fit? I want to change the rolling-radius as little as possible in order not to affect the speedo and odometer. I also want decent quality tyres that aren't noisy, wear reasonably well and are good in the wet (I have Falkens on my 4WD and they are horrible when it's slippery). I plan to put the same size tyres on all four wheels (I don't carry heavy loads in the Sportcross so can't see the justification for slightly wider wheels on the back). The brilliant guidance on the http://www.carbibles.com website includes a calculator for tyre-size options. That appears to suggest that I could fit either 50-profile tyres: 215/50 R16 or 225/50 R16, or if I wanted taller 55-profile ones, 205/55 R16 or 215/55 R16. So.... first question - what size/profile should I go for? My instinct was to choose 215/55 R16 all round, but that's a really rare size (I can only find Kumho KH31 in that size). The manufacturer alternative spec (and standard on the IS200 Sportcross) seems to be 205/55 R16. What do others think? Second question..... what brand? My shortlist is Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance, Dunlop Sport Blu Response, or maybe Hankook or Kumho. I think Michelins are too costly (I'm not a high mileage driver), and Yokohamas and Bridgestones too soft and wear out quickly. I have no knowledge of Uniroyal and little experience of Contis (except on an older Merc where they were OEM). Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated, especially from those in the trade!

If anyone is interested in an affordable to get refurbished alloys done to a high standard with powder coating and over baked and painted match the OEM wheels as close as possible this is the place to go. my mate just got his done for his Merc ML and the job is very good he swears by them, I have scehduled my is250 in for next week as my current wheels as peeling and kerbed, all for wheels £288. i personally think this is a good deal compared to refurbing all 4, like for like exchange https://www.fawheels.co.uk/

Hi, I am looking to change these Ls460 SE-l wheels to the standard LS type, anyone know where I can get 4 off genuine 19" Lexus wheels to replace them? Alternatively anyone interested in swapping there's out for these?

I have a Jan 2008 Lexus GS 300 which I have owned for the last 3 years. It was purchased and serviced for the last 3 years at Lexus Chester. This year I noticed a low frequency humming noise coming from the rear at between 55-60 mph and took it to the above for investigation. I was told the rear axle needed changing , cost £3070 !! I subsequently lodged a complaint with Lexus UK as the vehicle had only covered 68k. Lexus UK were brilliant and covered half the cost of the axle (rear axle cost £2k) and negotiated reduced rates for the repair, well done Lexus UK !! The rear axle was replaced BUT the noise continued. In summary, the axle from the vehicle was sent for examination and found to have no faults whatsoever !!!!! The noise was found to be generated by the tyres which were changed.

Anyone tried Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres for their LS430? They are offered as both a normal tyre and a run flat version. Strangely the external road noise is less for the run flat format. Yes, the external noise is not the same as that experienced in the cabin but for both versions tyre noise is very low and I want to preserve the quietness of the LS as much as possible. I know the reasons why run flat tyres are hated by many but for my wife's car they may offer the advantage of being more robust and keeping her going. These tyres also include a protective kerb band which might save the alloys a little.

hello I currently have my car lowered by 30mm both front and rear and was wondering if i could go from a 215 45 17 91w to a 225 or any larger without having to modify the arches. Thank you